By Ursula Rogers

The Texas Star faced Iowa Wild in their 2021-2022 season opener. This was the first time they played as a team. No preseason games were held. Unfortunately, they lost to Iowa Wild in a 0-2 match.

The fans were thrilled to be there. I had the chance to sit next to some loyal fans who have held season tickets since the franchise’s inaugural season in Texas. The Texas Stars are an ice hockey team based in Cedar Park, Texas. The team is part of the American Hockey League(AHL) and an affiliate of the Dallas Stars. Team captain, Curtis McKenzie mentioned in the post-game interview how much he loved playing with actual fans in the building. On a personal level, it felt amazing. The game was perfect for fans and novices of ice hockey. There were plenty of chances for crowd interaction and chances to win prizes. It is a great place for people of all ages.

As previously mentioned, the team didn’t have any pre-season games. Coach Neil Graham felt that hurt timing. The team allowed frustrations to seep in and it looked like timing was off and it was. Even with the lack of preseason games, he said that is no excuse. He complimented the team on their defense. He said the defense side was strong and kept them in the fight.

The team captain mentioned how they made mental mistakes you won’t see in the team in a few weeks. There was a quick turnaround between Saturday’s game and Sundays’ game. So, there wasn’t time to get on the ice on work on those things, but they were able to watch video and review the game. It worked. They were able to knock off the rust from the previous game and achieve victory. Sunday night the Texas Stars gained a 3-1 win. 

This was my first time at any hockey game. I was an Austin Ice Bats fan and am a Pittsburgh Penguin fan. I absolutely loved it and would be more than happy to attend a game again. In the next home game, the Texas Stars will face the Rockford Icehogs on Thursday, October 28, 2021.